Micro-Epsilon's displacement sensors are used where accuracy and performance are crucial to success - in modern machine building and in advanced automation, as well as in satellite technology and in the production of next-generation batteries and semiconductors, says Glenn Wedgbrow, Business Development Manager at Micro-Epsilon UK.

Derek Coulson, compliance specialist at Hold Tech Files, looks at how the new EU Machinery Regulation requires non-EU machine builders to have an economic operator based in the EU.

Every production line faces the same challenge: different processes rarely run at the same speed. The experts at AdaptTech look at what this can mean in practice, focusing on a recent project.

The instinct to over-specify drive technology is understandable, but it carries hidden costs, says Karl Walker, market development manager at Beckhoff UK. Here, Karl offers advice to machine builders on matching drive performance to real application requirements, from basic conveyor axes through to high-dynamic multi-axis systems.

Muting enables uninterrupted material flow in automated systems, but incorrect implementation can create safety gaps that require alternative safety concepts, as the experts at Leuze explain.

Calculating an application's motion profile is crucial to optimising its performance, as Gerard Bush, engineer at motion specialist INMOCO, explains.

Arne Linder, Product Manager Drives at Kollmorgen explores the benefits and key aspects of applying a mechatronic approach to designing motion systems.

Intelligent automation with the Bosch Rexroth VarioFlow plus chain conveyor system and Hitmark Robotics solutions is delivering efficient palletising solutions for the food industry.

Vendor lock-in has become a significant barrier to growth, costing a typical mid-sized company some £8m per year in revenue through lost operational agility, optimisation and efficiency burdens, data siloes and decision-making gaps, and from sustainability and compliance retrofits. Schneider Electric argues that the way forward is through open, software-defined automation that is no longer tied to proprietary hardware.

In a fast-changing technology landscape, and with a frequent need to work with legacy assets, many digital transformation projects are getting stuck at the proof of concept stage. But what if turnkey solutions were available that could effortlessly transform shop floor data into enterprise intelligence, making it easy for businesses to realise and scale projects to see maximum value? We talked to the experts at Turck Banner.